Active clinical trials for "Carcinoma, Squamous Cell"

There are currently no useful tests to identify patients who will respond to cetuximab therapy, notably because EGFR levels do not correlate with the clinical responses observed. Thus, the investigators are investigating the role of cellular immunity and immune escape mechanisms to explain the differential clinical response to cetuximab.

The purpose of this study is to find out if the experimental drug pralatrexate with the vitamins folic acid and vitamin B12 might be an effective treatment for head and neck cancer. The reason we are doing this study is because another drug called methotrexate has been used for a long time to treat head and neck cancer patients. Pralatrexate was designed by scientists to be a new drug that works better than methotrexate. Laboratory studies have shown that pralatrexate works better than methotrexate at killing cancer cells. Pralatrexate has already been studied in patients with other types of cancers, such as lymphoma and lung cancer. The results from those studies were promising. Pralatrexate was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a new treatment for a cancer called peripheral T cell lymphoma.

This phase II trial studies how well giving temsirolimus together with cetuximab works compared to temsirolimus alone in treating patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer who did not respond to previous therapy. Temsirolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. It is not yet known whether giving temsirolimus together with cetuximab is more effective than giving temsirolimus alone.

The general objectives are to evaluate the pre-operative activity and the safety of afatinib in head and neck cancer and to explore the different downstream molecular pathways to identify tumor response and resistance mechanisms. The results from this study can be used to conduct a larger trial that would allow us to confirm or validate the hypotheses generated.

This study examines contrast advantages and disadvantages of elective or prophylactic nodal irradiation in the treatment of esophageal cancer with three-dimensional conformed radiotherapy.

Background: - Advanced-stage head and neck cancer (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma [HNSCC]) has moderately successful treatment outcomes, usually involving surgery as part of the standard treatment. Researchers are investigating the use of the drug rapamycin to prevent tumor growth in HNSCC, and are interested in using it to treat individuals with HNSCC that has not been treated previously with other drugs, radiation, or surgery. Objectives: - To evaluate the usefulness of rapamycin in decreasing tumor size prior to surgery for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have been diagnosed with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has not yet been treated. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical examination, medical history, blood tests, and imaging studies. Approximately 1 month before scheduled surgery, participants will begin to receive rapamycin. Participants will take rapamycin once daily for 21 days, followed by a 7-day period without the drug. During the 21-day rapamycin treatment, participants will have weekly study visits to provide blood and urine samples and have possible tumor biopsies and imaging studies such as x-rays or tumor photographs. Participants will have additional study visits for tests 1 day and 1 week after the end of rapamycin treatment, followed by HNSCC surgery. Participants will have a final visit to provide blood samples 30 days after surgery. Participants medical records will be reviewed 1 year after surgery; however, participants will not need to have further study visits at this time.

In this Phase I B/II trial, we seek to determine the safety and efficacy of sorafenib with standard dose cetuximab in the treatment of patients with Recurrent and /or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN).

Brief Summary: RATIONALE: Comparing results of diagnostic procedures, such as esophagoscopy, done before and after radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying esophagoscopy in evaluating treatment in patients with stage I-IV head and neck cancer who are undergoing radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.

This study will evaluate the local control rates as well as acute and late toxicity rates of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of benign and malignant head and neck tumors.

Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Sorafenib tosylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known whether cetuximab is more effective when given alone or together with sorafenib tosylate in treating patients with head and neck cancer. This randomized phase II trial is studying cetuximab to see how well it works when given together with or without sorafenib tosylate in treating patients with refractory, recurrent, and/or metastatic head and neck cancer.